More Aboriginal people live in Canada's cities than on reserves or remote parts of the country. Several generations have grown in relative silence until recent years when the Aboriginal community and governments began in earnest to focus on their Urban Aboriginal issues and needs. This forum is here for you to provide useful and creative information to help address those needs. Let's share what works, not just what's wrong.

Celebrating the Official Opening of the Wabano National Centre of Excellence - a Multi-purpose complex dedicated to the needs of the Aboriginal community of Ottawa. . ."We are constructing an architecture for change: an environment that promotes community, a plan to stimulate growth and create a centre of excellence to ensure to ensure our youth have a equal opportunity in our city," says Allison Fisher, Executive Director of the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.http://www.wabano.com/wp-content/upload ... ce0350.png

The new centre will be run by the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, which provides a wide range of social services, health supports, and youth programs for Ottawa's 35,000 Aboriginal people. In its 14 year history in Ottawa, Wabano has had dramatic success in creating programs that reduce local homelessness, poverty, unemployment, addiction rates and family violence among Aboriginal people. The new 25,000-square-foot expansion provides new meeting spaces for community groups, outreach and after school programs, crisis intervention initiatives, and career training and workshops while showcasing Aboriginal art and culture.

COSTThe Government of Canada contributed $1.9 million and the Ontario government contributed $2.3 million through the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund towards eligible project costs for the Wabano National Centre of Excellence. In addition, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada contributed $750,000 through Commemoration, a component of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. The Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health is contributing the remainder of the $16 million total project cost.

Wabano is becoming the first-ever National Centre of Excellence in Aboriginal health care in Canada. Our landmark facility will house a maternal and child wellness centre, working in partnership with the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists to improve the health of Aboriginal women. The Centre will also be a hub for training medical professionals to work with Aboriginal people. Click here to learn more about our vision for the future of Aboriginal health in Canada.

Wabano is highly acclaimed for its medical services. Since opening in 1998, we have excelled in the provision of quality primary care. We specialize in:

Chronic disease:

How to live well with chronic disease, ongoing support, health promotion, medical and diagnostic support.We serve more than 5,400 clients and the demand is growing.Women’s Health:

Pregnancy rates are rising in our community, so we offer: Prenatal care, nutrition, counselling, post-partum care, and breast feeding clinics1/3 of Wabano’s caseload is under the age of 25 yearsMoving forward, Wabano’s expanded space will allow us to welcome specialists and enhance programming in all our areas of expertise: Chronic Disease, Women’s Health, Maternal & Newborn Health

Wabano’s facilities will provide access to essential medical care

In addition, we will focus on education, research & training:

Provide a full complement of community health education and prevention strategies for clients.Work with medical schools to educate new graduates so that they can apply Wabano’s model across Canada.Welcome internships and elective rotations for doctors, nurses and midwives from other centres so that they can witness the value of our culture in the healing process.

Collaborate and associate with major research efforts to address pressing Aboriginal health concerns such as fetal alcohol syndrome, violence within the population, and growing rates of diabetes.For more information, please contact:

The official opening of the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health on Thursday (May 9th, 2013) was a joyful event, marked by the ceremonial lighting of a traditional Inuit seal-oil lamp that was displayed at Expo 67.Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Waban ... story.html